Filling-replenishing mechanism for looms of more than one shuttle



1,623,861 Apnl 5 1927' E. A. BLACKSTON FILLING REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS OF MORE THAN ONE SHUTTLE Filed Aug. 15, i925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 5 1927. 1,623,861

E. A. BLACKSTON FILLING REPLENISIHING MECHANISM FOR L'ooMs OF MORE THAN ONE SHUTTLE Filed Aug. 15. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 MAMVV J 7W April 5, 1927.

1,623,861 E. A. BLACKSTON FILLING REPLENISHING MECHANISM FDR LOOMS 0F MORE THAN ONE SHUTTLE Filed Aug. 15, 1925 QSheets-Sheet 3 m m @"JWMJW/ April 5,1927. I 1,623,861

E. A. BLACKSTON FILLING REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS 0F MORE THAN ONE SHUTTLE Fi.led Aug.l5. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Qm a g; o m

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Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

unites stares PATENT oFFI-cE.

EDWARD ARGEL BLACKSTON, OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGN OR TO LOVIC RQGEBS GILBERT, OF RA LEIGET, NORTH CAROLINA.

FILLING-REPLENISEING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS 0F MORE THAN ONE SHUTTLE.

Application filed August 15, 1925.

My invention relates more particularly to automatic filling-replenishing looms of the type wherein a series of shifting shuttleboxes are located on the lay at the end opposite to which the filling replenishment is affected and wherein a magazine for holding a supply of filling of different character or color is located above the lay at the end at which the filling replenishment is effected.

The object of my invention is to improve upon the'construction of looms of the class referred to, and my invention consists in certain novel features of construction of. my improvements as will. be hereinafter fully described and shown.

It has already been proposed to construct a weft-replenishing apparatus for automatic looms, with a stationary magazine having a plurality of gui'deways or compartments for superposed filling carriers, which drop down by gravity in the magazine. All such proposed constructions are more or less complicated and consist of a large numberof operating parts. I believe that my present invention which is based on the principle :en'ibodi-ed in the proposed apparatus above referred to, is an improvement on all heretofore proposed constructions, in that it reduces the number of operating parts and simplifies the construction.

In my improvements I provide a stationary magazine having a plurality of guideways. for superposed tillling carriers which drop down by gravity in the magaine. This magazine serves the sole purpose of containing a reserve supply of filling. This magazine has .no moving parts within it, which is an improvement over all the welt-known types of stationary magazines. I also provide a saddle within which or on which a filling carrier may rest, said saddle being located below the stationary magazine and above the lay. This saddle normally remains open so that should a filling carrier drop into or onto it when the loom is not transferring, said saddle will not hold the filling carrier but will allow it to drop on through. I also provide a means whereby should a filling carrier drop into or on the saddle while the loom is transferring said saddle will hold the iillin carrier until it IS transferred into the acting shuttle. This assures the desired Serial No. 50,392.

kind of filling being placed in the acting shuttle even though something out of the ordinary has caused the undesired type of filling to be placed in or on the saddle. I also provide a transferrer for transferring a filling carrier from the normally open saddle into the acting shuttle, to take the place of a substantially or practically -eX-' hausted filling carrier said transferrer being located and operating entirely outside of the magazine. I provide means for operating the transferrer at the desired time.

I also provide means for releasing a filling carrier of the desired type or character as in my invention the movable magazine has been eliminated and the new supply of filling drops from the stationary magazine directly into my improved saddle and is transferred directly into the acting shuttle by my improved transferring mechanism. With my stationary magazine and normally open saddle I provide a transferrer for transferring a new supply of fiiling from the saddle into the acting shuttle, to take the place of a substantially exhausted bobbin, said transferrer being located and operating entirely outside of the stationary magazine, said transferrer is operated by means of or through a flexible connection which may be a chain, a cord, a wire, or a band.

I provide mechanism for operating the tra-nsferrer at the desired time, said mechanism being actuated by a cam on the loom bottom shaft and governed by a feeder or filling detecting mechanism located on the shifting-shlittle-box end of the loom. I also provide mechanism to tilt or drop the hinged bottom located at the bottom of the guide ways of the stationary magazine, said mechanism tilting or dropping the hinged bottom Cit which supports filling of the same character as is in the acting shuttle so that a new sup ply of filling of the desired character falls onto the saddle and is thereby placed into position to be transferred into the acting shuttle. I also provide means of speeding up the movement of the shifting-shuttle-boxes so that the practical exhaustion of filling on any bobbin ma be detected when the acting shuttle is at the shifting-shuttle-box end of the loom. I have accomplished the above mentioned result by increasing the diameter of the gear wheel of the box motion, said gear wheel l'i eing the one that is on the end of the cam shaft or bottom shaft of the loom.

In my improvements as shown and described herein, the filling detecting mechanism for detecting the practical or substantial exhaustion of filling in the acting shuttie, is located at the shifting-slmttle-box end of the loom, and is actuated when the acting shuttle is in the shifting-shuttle-box.V The filling detecting mechanism operates, the act ing shuttle travels to the magazine end of the loom and then immediately the transfer of the bobbin or filling carrier takes place. The filling detecting mechanism operates on the forward beat of the lay and on the next forward beat the transfer takes place. Thus only one pick takes place between the detection of the practical exhaustion of the filling and the transfer.

The filling-detector or filling-feeler is not a. part of my invention and any of the well known types of suitable filling-detecting mechanisms may be used with my improvements.

By speeding up the movement of the shifting-shnttle-boxes, I have provided an arrangement which will cause the filling-detecting mechanism to always be out of the way whenever the shifting-shuttle-boxes shift. The shifting-shuttle boxes will always have completed their shift when the lay is behind mid-position, the filling-detecting mechanism will not enter a be until the lay is in front of mid-position, therefore it is evident that there is no chance of the filling-detecting mechanism engaging with the shuttle-boxes during their shifting movement.

It has already been proposed to place the filling-detecting mechanism on the shifting shuttle-box end of the loom and at the same time to provide a mechanism to render the filling-detecting n'icclianisni inoperative while the shuttle-boxes are shifting. My im provement does away with this mechanism making it unnecessary. In carrying out my improvements I place the filling-detecting mechanism or feeler in a fixed position on the loom frame and I provide a means of speed ing up the action of the shifting-shuttle boxes so that whenever they shift the lay will not be in front of mid-position, consequently the Lteeler will always be clear of any of the moving parts of the shuttleboxes whenever they move up or down.

In my improvements there is no possibility of a filling carrier containing the wrong kind of filling being placed in the acting shuttle.

Referring to the drawings :Fig. l is a front view of the loom having the middle portion broken out and showi ng mv improve ments applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end view of the loom looking at the magazine end or the end opposite to the shiftingshuttle-boxes. Fig. 3 is an elevation or end V OW of the left end of the loom. Fig. l is a pictorial sketch showing the arrangements of the parts of my stationary magazine, parts of my filling-feeder mechanism, my automatic saddle and improved transferring mechanism.

In the present embodiment of my invention I have shown. in the accon'ipa-nying drawings, and described a loom employing a drop-box for four shuttles, however it is evident that a dropboz; for any desire-til number of shuttles may be used with my invention.

The accompanying drawings show a loom having the shifting-shuttle-boxes at thelefthand end the filling replenishing mechanism at the right hand end. It is to be understood that my invention is applicable to the same type of loom having the shifting-shuttleboxes at the right-hand end.

The shuttles to be used with my invention are not a part of my invention and they may be any of the well known variety of shuttles wherein there is a passage through them from the top side to the bottom side in order that the filling-carrieror bobbin put into them at one side may be ejected from the opposite side.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 is the loom frame. 2 is the lay 3 is the crank shaft, 4; is the shifting-shuttle-boxes, and 5 is the boX-stalf-rod. All of the above mentioned parts may be of the usual and well known construction.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views in the acconr panying drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1, the lay 2 has mounted thereon at one end the shiftingshuttle-boxes 4:, each shifting-shuttlc-hox being adapted to contain a shuttle of the automatically selfthreading type. The shifting-shuttle-boxes .t are mounted on the lifting rod or box-stallrod, 5. Each shifting-shuttle-box binder 6 has a slot- 7 cut therein to allow the end of the feeler 8 to enter and touch the fillingcarrier in the acting shuttle on the forward beat of the lay 2. The feeler 8 is not a part of my invention and any of the usual well known types of suitable feelers may be employed with. my improvements, therefore I lil at suitable places. The bearings for vertical shaft 13 are not a part of my invention and therefore I have not shown them in detail in the accompanying drawings.

N ow it can be seen that when the shifting-shuttle-boxes 41 are raised or lowered by the movement of the boX-staif-rod the bell-crank -9 will oscillate about stationary pin 10 thereby causing rod 11 to reciprocate thereby oscillating arm 12 and thereby oscillating vertical. shaft 13. The angle through which vertical shaft 13 oscillates at any one time depends upon the distance over which the boxstaif-roil 5 is raised or lowered. The turning of vertical shaft 13 is directly proportional to and caused by the up and down movement of the box-staff- .rod 5.

Now referring to Fig. 4, the upper end of vertical shaft 13 has arm 14 rigidly attached thereto. 'Oneend of rod 15 is loosely attached to arm 14. The other .end of rod 15 is loosely attached to sliding block 16. Sliding block 16 has an opening through it and is adapted to slide back and forth on track 17. Sliding block 16 has an extension on its bottom side, which extension when lowered is adapted to come into contact with the projecting end of one of the hinged bottoms 18.

It is now evident that when the. shifting shuttle-boxes 4 shift the vertical shaft 13 oscillates thereby causing arm 1 1 to oscillate thereby causing rod 15 to reciprocate thereby causing sliding block 16 to move back and forth along the track 17. The distance along the track 17 traveled by sliding block 16 is directly proportional to and determined .by the distance through which the boXstafii-rod 5 moves when the shiftingshuttleboxes shift.

I will now describe my stationary maga- .zine which is adapted :to contain a plurality of filling carriers or bobbins containing a supply of filling of various kinds which are to be transferred into the acting shuttle at the proper time. My stationary magazine is composed of the frame pieces 19 which hold in place the vertical guide pieces 20. Vertical g-uide pieces .20 form a series of vertical and rectangular compartments adapted to hold a plurality .of filling carriers or bobbins superimposed upon each other; There is one vertical rectangular 'ment.

compartment for each shifting shuttle-box. In the accompanying drawings Ihave shown a loom having four shifting-shuttle-boxes a and astationary magazine having four vertical rectangular compartments formed by the vertical guide pieces 20 and the frame pieces 19. Each shifting-shuttle-box has a corresponding vertical rectangular compart- Each vertical rectangular compartment has at its bottom enda hinged bottom 18 which is pivoted on stationary pins 21 and which hinged .bottoms 18 are held normally stationary in the position shown in Fig. a, by the coiled springs 22. The filling carriers or bobbins 23, see Fig. 1, are placed in the stationary magazine from the top, one on top of :the other. The hinged bottoms 18 normally support the bottom bobbin in each vertical rectangular compartment, which bottom bobbin supports the bobbin above itself which supports the bobbin above itself and $02011.

Now referring to Fig. 1, feeler 8 has a rod '24: connected to it in such a way that when .the filling on the bobbin in the acting shuttle becomes substantially exhausted the operation of feeler 8 causes rod 2a to move toward the left. One end of rod 24: is connected loosely to the hook-rod '25. The lower end of hook-rod 25 is connected to chain 26 which is connected rigidly .to sliding-bar 27, see Fig. 2, which has cam follower 28 attached rigidly thereto. The coiled spring 29 which is attached to the sliding-bar 27 holds cam follower 28 always in contact with the cam 30 on camshaft 31. The loose pulley 32 acts asa guide for chain 26. Sliding-bar 27 may be supported and guided by .two or more suitable bearings placed at convenient places the details of which are not shown in the accompanying drawings. The chain 26 may be a cord or a wire or any suitable flexible connector.

Now it is evident that as the cam shaft 31 rotates, the cam 30 rotates thereby causing the cam follower 28 to reciprocate there by causing the sliding-bar 27 to reciprocate,

through the chain 26, causing the hook-rod 25 to reciprocate up and down.

Hook-rod 25 normally moves up and down without coming in contact with the bent finger 33, see Fig. 1. Bent finger 33 is :rigidly attached to one .end of track 17 which is normally held in a raised position by the coiled springs 34;.

Now it can be seen that when 'l he feeler 8 detects the substantially exhaustion of filling on the acting shuttle and operates =.to move rod 24 to the left, :the hook-rod 25 will be shifted .to lhe left so :that when it makes its downward stroke it will come into contact with bent linger 33 and will cause said bent finger S3 to be moved .down which vmovement will cause track 17 to move down which movement will cause sliding block 1.6

'to move down which movement will cause the extension on the bottom of sliding block 16 to come into contact with one or the other of the hinged bottoms 18 and push down one or the other of the hinged bottoms 18.

As has already been stated the sliding block 16 moves back and forth along the track 17. The position of the sliding block 16 on track depends upon the position of the shiftiug-slnittle-boxes 1. My mechanism is so arranged that when the top shifting-shuttle box is in position to receive the acting shuttle, sliding block 16 will be directly over the left-hand hinged bottom 18, see Fig. 4, and when the shuttle in the next to thetop shifting-slmttle-box is weaving sliding block 16 will be directly over the next to the, left-hand hinged bottom 18, and when the next to the bottom shifting-shuttlebox raises so that its shuttle is the weaving shuttle the sliding block 16 shifts to a posi tion directly over the next to the righthand hinged bottom 18, and in like manner when the shuttle in the bottom shiftingshuttle-box is the active shuttle sliding block 16 is directly over the right-hand hinged bottom 18. The sliding block 16 together with its bottom extension shifts its position along track 17 every time the shifting shuttle-boxes move up or down. The accompanying drawings show an arrangement whereby an upward movement of the shifting-shuttle-boxes 1, see Fig. 1, causes the sliding block 16, see Fig. 4, to move to the right and a downward shift of the shiftingshuttle-boxes 4 causes the sliding block 16 to move back toward the left. t is to be understood that the same result may be accomplished by having an upward movement of the shifting-shuttle-box cause sliding block 16 to move to the right and vice versa.

When one or the other of the hinged bottoms 18 are pushed down by the extension on the bottom of sliding block 16 the lowest filling carrier in one or the other of the vertical rectangular compartments drops, by gravity, and is guided by the slanting pieces 35, see Fig. 2, until said filling carrier rests in the saddle 36. Coiled springs 22 bring the hinged bottoms 18 back to their normal horizontal position.

The lower ends of the three slanting pieces 35 together with the pivoted finger 36 compose the saddle. Pivoted finger 36 normally occupies a position such that the distance between its lower end and the lower end of the slanting piece 35 is greater than the diameter of the big end of the filling carrier or bobbin consequently normally should a filling carrier drop onto the saddle said filling carrier would not be held by said saddle but would drop on through. I have devised a mechanism which will operate to raise the lower end of pivoted finger 36 whenever a transfer of filling carriers is called for and which will maintain pivoted finger 36 in this raised position until the transfer has been completed, so that when a new supply of filling is required in the acting shuttle, a filling carrier drops onto the saddle and is held there until knocked into the acting shuttle by the transfer hammers This arrangement insures the desired kind of filling being transferred into the acting shuttle even though an accident should place a filling carrier con taining an undesired kind of filling onto-the saddle.

I will now describe the above mentioned mechanism. Pivoted finger 36 is pivoted on stationary pin 38. One end of link 39 is loosely attached to pivoted finger 36 and the other end of link 39 is loosely attached to one end. of the bell crank 10 which is pivoted on stationary pin ll. The long arm of bell cran; s0 is held always in contact with bent finger 33 by means of spring 42 so that when bent finger 33 moves down the long arm of bell crank 40 will also move down thereby causing the short arm of hell crank 4:0 to move up thereby causing the link 39 to move and raise the lower end of pivoted finger 36 so that when a-filling carrier drops into the saddle said filling carrier will be held in the proper position to be transferred into the acting shuttle by the transfer hammer 37. It will be noticed that the above mentioned movements take place only after the operation of the feeler 8 has detected the practical exhaustion of the filling in the acting shuttle. All of the above mentioned movements are instituted by the feeler 8. The slanting pieces 35 may be constructed of springy material so that when the transfer hammer 37 strikes a bobbin which is resting on the saddle said slanting pieces 35 will spring open enough to allow said bobbin to pass through them into the acting shuttle or said slanting pieces 35 may be constructed with spring pieces on their ends which will accomplish the same purpose. it being understood that my invention is not limited as to details of construction.

I will now describe my transferring mechanism. One end of link 43 is loosely attached to bent finger 33 and the other end of link 43 is loosely attached to the arm 14, see Figs. 2 and 1;, said arm 414: being rigidly attached to the short shaft 45.

Now it can be seen that when the feeler 8 operates to move the hook-rod 25 .so that it will come into contact with bent finger 33 said bent finger 33 will be pulled down by said hook-rod 25 and at the same time the said downward movement of bent finger 33 will cause link 13 to move thereby causing arm 44 to move thereby causing short shaft 1-5 to turn.

The sequence or order of the movements and operations so far described are as follows z-lVhenever the shifting-.shuttle-boxes shift, the extension on the bottom of sliding block 16 automatically moves to a position directly over one or the other of the hinged bottoms 18 so that said extension on the bottom of sliding block 16 is always in the proper position and ready to dump, by its downward movement, the desired kind of filling from one or the other of the compartments of the stationary magazine onto the saddle to be transferred into the acting shuttle. If a new supply of filling is not required in the acting shuttle the saddle will" not retain a filling carrier which is dropped onto it. Now when a new supply of filling is required in the acting shuttle the feeler 8 will detect said requirement on the forward beat of the lay 2, this forward beat of 2 causes the feeler to move the hook-rod 25 so that it will come into contact with bent finger 33 when said bent finger 33 starts on a downward stroke. At the same time that the hook-rod 25' is caused to move sideways by the action of the feeler- 8- the cam 30 causes the hook-rod 25 to make a downward stroke, during which downward stroke the lay 2 is beginning its backward beat. Simultaneously while the hook-rod 25 is making its downward stroke, the lay 2 is making its backward beat, the extension on the bottom of sliding block 16' is pushing down one of the hingedbottoms 18, afilling carrier is dropping onto the saddle, the lower end of pivoted finger 35 is raising and short shaft 45 is turning. All of the above mentioned movements and operations arecompleted by the time the lay 2 has reached its rearward position and a freshsupply of the desired kind of filling is resting on the saddle ready to be transferred intothe acting shuttle.

Short shaft 45 may be supported by any number of two or more suitable bearings placed at any convenient or suitable places. Arm 46 is rigidly attached to short shaft 45 so that when said short shaft 45 turns one end of said arm 46 will be raised. attached to the raising end of arm 46 is a pin 47 which is always in contact with the dagger 48 which is pivoted on pin- 49" which is rigidly attached to piece 50 which is rigidly attached to the sliding bar 51- which slides back and forth inthe guides 52, see Fig. 4, and under the stationary bar 53', see Fig. 2. Said sliding bar 51 is attached to chain 54 which is attached to one of the transfer hammers 37. The two transfer hammers 37 are connected by a rigid connector pivoted at each end, one end being pivoted in the stationary piece 53, so that both trans fer hammers 37 will oscillatesimultaneously. Chain 54 is in contact with a loose pulley 55, see Fig. 2, which acts as a track for said chain 54.

Rigidly' Now it is evident that when short shaft 45 is turned by the downward movement of bent finger 33 that one end of arm 46 will be raised thereby raising the pin 47 thereby raising the dagger 48 to a horizontal position so that when the lay makes a forward beat said dagger 48 will be struck by a hunter on said lay, said striking will cause the dagger 48 to move toward the front of the loom thereby moving piece 50 in the same direction thereby moving the sliding bar 51' in the same direction thereby causing the chain 54 to move the transfer hammers 37 and thereby transfer a filling carrier from the saddle into the acting shuttle.

Instead of chain 54 any suitable flexible I connection, such as a wire or cord, may be used.

Now summing up it is evident that the action of the shifting-shuttle-boxes cause the sliding block 16 to select the same typeof" filling as is in the acting shuttle so-that when track 17 moves down the desired type of, fi'lling will drop onto the saddle. Furthermore, when a change of'filling is required or. desired in the acting shuttle the feeler Swill operate on the forward beat of lay 2, and during the rearward beat of the lay a fresh supply of the desired kind of filling is placed on the saddle and the dagger 48 rises. Dar

ing the next forward beat of lay 2 the new supply of'filling is transferred from the sadthe into the acting shuttle and the practically empty filling carrier is knocked out or the acting shuttle.

Holder 56, see Fig. 1, is attached to my stationary magazine for the purpose ofhold ingthe ends of the filling contained in said stationary magazine.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described, as the same may be modified or rearranged in different particulars by those skilled in the art without de- I parting from the spirit and scope of my invention, substantially as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Having fully describedmy invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a weft replenishing loom, a stationary magazine containing two-or more groups of filling carriers differing in the characteristics of their filling and a mechanism consisting of a hook connected to the feeler or filling detecting device; a flexible connector attached to said hook; a guide for flexible connector; a cam-follower rod" attached to said flexible connector; guides for said camfollower rod; a cam follower adapted tocontact with a cam onthe loom bottom shaft;- a spring adapted to hold said follower in contact with said cam; a bent rod adapted to be engaged by said hook; a track attached tosaid bent rod; guides for said track; and a sliding member adapted to be moved by said track to release a bobbin from said magazine; all substantially as shown and described.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a stationary magazine; a mechanism adapted to select filling carriers for transference, said mechanism working in conjunction with the shifting shuttle boxes and consisting of a bell crank attached to the box-staif-rod; a rod attached to said bell crank and adapted to reciprocate horizontally; a crank attached to said rod; a vertical shaft attached to said crank; a second crank attached to said vertical shaft; a rod attached to said second crank; a sliding piece attached to said rod; a track guiding said sliding piece and adapted to be moved vertically; springs attached to said track and adapted to return it to its highest position, and the necessary guides and supports for the above mentioned parts, all substantially as shown and described.

3. In a shifting shuttle box loom having a filling detecting mechanism; a stationary magazine adapt-ed to contain a supply of filling of different characteristics; a filling changing means governed by the filling detecting mechanism, said filling changing means including a member adapted to be pulled down, a hook adapted to pull down said member, a flexible connector between said hook and a cam follower, a guide for said flexible connector, a cam follower adapted to actuate said hook through said flexible connector, and a cam on the loom bottom shaft adapted to actuate said cam follower; and a means to select the character of filling to be released from said stationary magazine, said selecting means including a vertical shaft adapted to be oscillated by the movement of the shifting shuttle boxes through connectors intermediate between said shaft and the loom boxstaif rod, and a member adapted to be moved horizontally and vertically, all substantially as shown and described.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a filling detecting mechanism and shifting shuttle boxes, a stationary magazine adapted to contain filling carriers of different color or character, a means to bring a filling carrier containing the same color or character of filling as the filling in the acting shuttle from said stationary magazine into said acting shuttle, said means consisting of a vertically movable track adapted to being pulled down, a horizontally slid-able member movable with and on said track, a vertical oscillating shaft, and intermediate connectors between said shaft and the shifting shuttle boxes, all substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination with a stationary magazine for a shifting shuttle box loom, of means to release a filling carrier from said magazine, a hook adapted to pull down said releasing means, a flexible connector attached to said hook, a cam follower attached to said flexible connector, a cam on the loom bottom shaft adapted to actuate said cam follower, a means to select from which group a filling carrier is to be released, said selecting means consisting of, a vertical oscillating shaft, connectors intermediate between said vertical shaft and the shuttle boxes, a vertically movable guide, and a mechanism connected to and intermediate between said vertical shaft and said guide, all substantially as shown and described.

6. In a weft replenishing loom, a stationary filling carrier magazine having a plurality of vertically arranged groups of filling carriers differing in the characteristics of their filling and having no moving parts within it, combined with means co-operating with hinged bottoms at the bottom of each vertical group to intermittently release a single filling carrier from one or the other of said groups and thereby drop into position a filling carrier, said releasing means being adapted to being pulled down by a hook connected through a flexible connection to a cam follower actuated by a cam on the loom bottom shaft, and independent means actuated by the shifting shuttle boxes through a vertical oscillating shaft and intermediate connections to select from which of said groups a filling carrier is to be re-" leased so that filling corresponding to that in the acting shuttle will be released from said magazine, all substantially as shown and described.

7. In a weft replenishing loom, the combination with a stationary magazine having a plurality of vertical compartments for superimposed filling carriers, of a cam on the loom bottom shaft, a cam follower adapted to be actuated by said cam, a flexible connector attached to said cam follower, a hook attached to said flexible connector, a connector intermediate between said hook and the filling detecting device of the loom, a normally open saddle or filling carrier support adapted to be moved by the movement of said hook to retain a filling carrier in position to be transferred, and a transferrer adapted to transfer a filling carrier from said saddle to the acting shuttle, all substantially as shown and described.

8. In a shifting shuttle box loom having a filling detecting device or filling feeler, a stationary filling carrier magazine having a plurality of vertical groups of two or more filling carriers differing in the characteristics of their filling and having a plurality of hinged bottoms, a vertical shaft, means to intermittently select which hinged bottom shall be moved, said selecting means being actuated by the movement of the shifting shuttle boxes and including said vertical shaft, a hooked piece, a cam on the loom bottom shaft, a cam follower in contact with said cam, a flexible connector between said cam follower and said hooked piece, and means to move one or the other of said hinged bottoms, said moving means including said hooked piece, said flexible connector, said cam follower, and said cam, and adapted to be actuated by the filling detecting device, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a. loom having shifting shuttle boxes and a filling feeler or filling detecting device, the following instrumentalities; a horizontally movable plunger, a filling changing mechanism having a vertically movable track adapted to support and guide said plunger, means to operate said mechanism to effect a change of filling said operating means having a hook attached to a flexible connector attached to a cam follower in contact with a cam on the loom bottom shaft, a vertical oscillatable shaft, connectors intermediate between said vertical shaft and the shifting shuttle boxes, connectors intermediate between said shaft and said filling changing mechanism which connectors will cause said plunger to select, to be changed, the same type of filling as in the acting shuttle, substantially as shown anddescribed.

10. In a shifting shuttle box loom, a stationary filling carrier magazine having a plurality of hinged bottoms, a horizontally slidable plunger, a vertically movable track adapted to support and guide said plunger,

and a mechanism intermediate between thev shifting shutle boxes and said magazine, said mechanism being actuated by the movement of the shuttle boxes and adapted to move in unison with them and adapted to position said plunger over one or the other of said hinged bottoms, all substantially as shown and described.

11. In a weft replenishing loom, a stationary filling carrier magazine combined with a mechanism consisting of, a horizoir tally slidable plunger adapted to reciprocate at the rear end of said magazine in unison. with the shifting shuttle boxes, a vertically movable track or guide supporting and guiding said plunger said track adapted to reciprocate vertically at the rear end of said magazine, a link connecting said plunger to an arm on a vertical oscillatable shaft, said arm, said vertical shaft, an arm intermediate between said shaft and a bell-crank, a bell-crank intermediate between said arm and the box-staff-rod, and of the necessary supports for the above mentioned parts, said mechanism being adapted to select a certain type of filling in said magazine for release therefrom, all substantially as shown and described.

12. In a weft replenishing loom having a stationary filling carrier magazine with hinged bottoms and a filling feeler or filling detecting device, a mechanism adapted to release a filling carrier from said magazine, said mechanism consisting of the following parts, viz;a hook connected to and work ing in conjunction with said feeler, a flexible connector attached to said hook and to a horizontally reciprocating cam follower, a horizontally reciprocating cam follower actuated by a cam on the loom bottom shaft, a tension spring adapted to hold said follower in contact with said cam, a rotatable guide or track for said flexible connector, a bentmember adapted to being pulled down by said hook, a vertically movable track or guide attached to said bent linger, a horizontally slidable plunger movable vertically by said movable track, said plunger being adapted to move one or the other of said hinged bottoms of said magazine and thereby release a filling carrier therefrom, and the necessary supports for the above mentioned parts, all substantially as shown and described.

13. In a weft replenishing loom having a filling feeler or filling detecting device, a saddle or filling carrier retaining device adapted to yieldingly support a filling carrier so long as a transfer of filling is called for and to normally remain open so that it will not support a filling carrier when a transfer is not called for, said saddle consisting of the following parts, viz ;a pivot attached to said magazine and supporting a movable jaw, a movable aw adapted to contact with the ends of a filling carrier, a stationary jaw attached to said magazine and adapted to contact with the ends of a filling carrier, a bent link attached to said movable jaw, a bell crank attached to said bent link, a tension spring attached to said bell crank and to said stationary magazine, a pivot attached to said magazine and adapted to support said bell crank, and of a bent member in contact with said bell crank, said bent member being adapted to being pulled down by a device actuated by a cam on the loom bottom shaft and working in conjunction with said filling feeler whenever a transfer of filling carrier is called.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWVARD ARGEL BLACKSTON. 

